Al Shirqat: 20,000 civilians face death

google

“hunger plagues civilians there, while ISIS tries to control them more and prevent them from helping each other in sickness instances, unless for those who have someone fighting with them”, the observatory added.

17 - 7 - 2017

20,000 civilians in the left (eastern) coast of al Shirqat, 140 km north of Tikrit, Saladin governorate, face death, which will lead to a serious humanitarian crisis similar to that which happened in the right coast of Mosul, according to the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights.

The observatory had information about ISIS besieging the civilians there in addition to instances of kidnapping and torture to those whom they doubt that they communicate with government forces.

“hunger plagues civilians there, while ISIS tries to control them more and prevent them from helping each other in sickness instances, unless for those who have someone fighting with them”, the observatory added.

“The humanitarian situation has become very serious; everyone wished to get rid if this suffer even by death”, said Khudair Falah (assumed name), a citizen who lives in Sudairah, which is one of 40 villages in the left coast of alShirqat.

“Prices of foodstuffs are rising; the price of a bag of flour (50 Kgm) has reached nearly 1000$. The price of 1 liter of vegetable oil has reached nearly 40$, the price of one Kgm of sugar has reached 90$, the price of one soup bar is 12$, and the price of a tomato paste packet is over 40$. All foodstuff, consumption goods, and drugs are available but they are too expensive. This pushed many people to cock grass as an alternative meal”, he added.

“Over 20,000 civilians face death in the areas controlled by ISIS because of the siege that started on June 15 2016”, Wasmi al Sahen, director of the left coast, said.

“Civilians started planting seasonal plants in their gardens due to the lack of foodstuff in their areas or being too expensive and they can’t afford it if they are available”, he added.

“ISIS searches every day for persons, who may be communicating with Iraqi forces and provide them with information against them. All suspected persons get executed immediately”, local resources in al Shirqat said.

A refugee from the left coast, who lives in Tikrit now, said that “he communicates with his family occasionally. They say that the situation there is unbearable; everything ISIS is doing there is similar to what they did in Mosul.”

“The violations against the citizens of the left coast of al Shirqat are very serious. The Iraqi government should liberate the city quickly to save people’s lives,” the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights reported.

The observatory tried to get more testimonies from more civilians in the areas controlled by ISIS in the left coast of Mosul but the poor communication in addition to their fear of ISIS knowing that they communicate with people outside has impeded this. However, the observatory had some information about “torture” by ISIS through 2 quick calls.

“In July 12 ISIS kidnapped 3 men from Sudairah after they had information about the three men talking happily on the news about the military operations and liberating Mosul”, 2 civilians living in the left coast of al Shirqat, said.

“We are afraid that what happened to the right coast of Mosul would happen to us. People there were killed by ISIS, indiscriminate shelling, and being used as human shields.” They added.

The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights called the Iraqi government and international organizations to find a speedy and urgent solution for the humanitarian crisis that the people in the left coast in al Shirqat live, in addition to stop the economic siege imposed on them by ISIS, by establishing air corridors to send aids to them.